Taiwan beat South Korea 2-1 in the semi-final of the Asian Little League Championships yesterday, keeping their hopes for a fifth consecutive title alive heading into today’s championship game showdown against Japan.
Chu Yi-kun hit a two-run homer in the first inning to give Taiwan a 2-0 lead against the South Koreans, in the game in Kurashiki in Japan’s Okayama Prefecture.
Taiwan’s lineup was shut down after that but the pitching rotation of Chu Yi-kun, Wu Chun-an and Chang Yen-hsun kept the Koreans at bay, allowing their opponents to score only one run in the seven-inning contest.
“The game was a pitching duel. Both teams sent their best pitchers to the mound to frustrate opposing hitters,” said Taiwanese coach Lee Kuo-chiang.
Lee said Japan, who trounced South Korea 10-1 on Friday, would be tough opponents, but he was confident his team could overcome the hosts despite cold and snowy weather that has taken its toll on some of Taiwan’s players, who come from several elementary and junior high schools in Taoyuan County.
Over the past two days, many of them have complained about being too cold, and a few of them had diarrhea or vomited, but Lee said they were all healthy now.
Taiwan swept China, Indonesia and Thailand to win Group A, while Japan won Group B ahead of South Korea, Pakistan and Hong Kong, setting up yesterday’s semi-final.
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